Z Nation
Z Nation is a curious series. In theory, it belongs to the same universe as Black Summer, but that is hard to believe when you watch it. It does not have the same intensity, the same rawness or that feeling of desperate survival that made Black Summer feel almost like a physical experience. Here, everything is lighter, more B-movie, more mischievous, more uneven and much closer to pulp entertainment than to dry horror.
The premise has a hook: in the middle of a zombie apocalypse, a group must transport Murphy, a man who seems to be the only known survivor of a zombie bite, because his blood could be the key to a cure. It is a simple, clear and effective idea. It also gives the series a very concrete direction: it is not just about surviving episode by episode, but about crossing a destroyed country with a mission. Handled properly, that could have made a great series.
And that is exactly what makes it frustrating. Z Nation has something. It has a world, recognizable characters, black humor, absurd situations, all kinds of zombies and a freedom that many more “serious” shows do not allow themselves. At times, you can feel that it enjoys inventing madness inside the genre: outrageous episodes, grotesque threats, exaggerated solutions and moments that do not aim for realism but for pure post-apocalyptic fun.
The problem is that this freedom is not always matched by strong enough direction. There are entertaining moments, yes, but also many others where the series seems content with being cheap, chaotic and functional. The staging is not always up to the level of the ideas. The action can be fun, but rarely impressive. The drama appears and disappears. And the tone shifts so much that it is sometimes hard to know whether it wants to be parody, adventure, horror, black comedy or zombie western.
Comparing it to Black Summer may be unfair, but it is inevitable. Black Summer went straight for the nerve: chases, fear, silence, chaos, brutal decisions and people running for their lives. Z Nation, by contrast, seems to exist in another register. It is more relaxed, more televisual, closer to a low-budget cult series. That does not necessarily make it worse, but it does make it very different. The problem is that, knowing they share a universe, you expect some emotional or tonal connection that is barely there.
The cast is a big reason why the series works better than it probably should. Roberta Warren, Murphy, Doc, 10K, Addy and Citizen Z gradually gain presence. Some characters begin as clichés, but over time they become part of the show’s charm. Murphy especially introduces an interesting ambiguity: he is not exactly a hero, nor a pure villain, nor simply a victim. The series improves when it understands that its characters can be more appealing than its plots.
It also deserves credit for one thing: Z Nation does not pretend to be prestige television. It does not try to disguise itself as a major dramatic statement. It accepts itself as a zombie show with humor, blood, exaggeration and strange episodes. That lack of solemnity is a virtue. While other shows in the genre become heavy by trying to seem important, this one accepts being a dirty, uneven and slightly crazy adventure. When that energy works, the series has charm.
But there remains a feeling of missed opportunity. With different direction, more budget, more intense staging and less scattered writing, Z Nation could have been a huge series within the genre. It had a strong central mission, a broad world, characters with potential and a mischievous edge that could have set it apart. Instead, it remains a show that is watchable, entertaining at times and full of personality, but that rarely reaches everything it promised.
Z Nation does not have the strength of Black Summer, not even close. But it is not a disposable series either. It is uneven, cheap-looking in many moments and too scattered, but it has something attractive: a mixture of B-movie spirit, zombie adventure, black humor and characters who gradually become good company. It is not a great series, but it is one you can watch with some affection, while constantly thinking that a much better version was hidden inside it.
The premise has a hook: in the middle of a zombie apocalypse, a group must transport Murphy, a man who seems to be the only known survivor of a zombie bite, because his blood could be the key to a cure. It is a simple, clear and effective idea. It also gives the series a very concrete direction: it is not just about surviving episode by episode, but about crossing a destroyed country with a mission. Handled properly, that could have made a great series.
And that is exactly what makes it frustrating. Z Nation has something. It has a world, recognizable characters, black humor, absurd situations, all kinds of zombies and a freedom that many more “serious” shows do not allow themselves. At times, you can feel that it enjoys inventing madness inside the genre: outrageous episodes, grotesque threats, exaggerated solutions and moments that do not aim for realism but for pure post-apocalyptic fun.
The problem is that this freedom is not always matched by strong enough direction. There are entertaining moments, yes, but also many others where the series seems content with being cheap, chaotic and functional. The staging is not always up to the level of the ideas. The action can be fun, but rarely impressive. The drama appears and disappears. And the tone shifts so much that it is sometimes hard to know whether it wants to be parody, adventure, horror, black comedy or zombie western.
Comparing it to Black Summer may be unfair, but it is inevitable. Black Summer went straight for the nerve: chases, fear, silence, chaos, brutal decisions and people running for their lives. Z Nation, by contrast, seems to exist in another register. It is more relaxed, more televisual, closer to a low-budget cult series. That does not necessarily make it worse, but it does make it very different. The problem is that, knowing they share a universe, you expect some emotional or tonal connection that is barely there.
The cast is a big reason why the series works better than it probably should. Roberta Warren, Murphy, Doc, 10K, Addy and Citizen Z gradually gain presence. Some characters begin as clichés, but over time they become part of the show’s charm. Murphy especially introduces an interesting ambiguity: he is not exactly a hero, nor a pure villain, nor simply a victim. The series improves when it understands that its characters can be more appealing than its plots.
It also deserves credit for one thing: Z Nation does not pretend to be prestige television. It does not try to disguise itself as a major dramatic statement. It accepts itself as a zombie show with humor, blood, exaggeration and strange episodes. That lack of solemnity is a virtue. While other shows in the genre become heavy by trying to seem important, this one accepts being a dirty, uneven and slightly crazy adventure. When that energy works, the series has charm.
But there remains a feeling of missed opportunity. With different direction, more budget, more intense staging and less scattered writing, Z Nation could have been a huge series within the genre. It had a strong central mission, a broad world, characters with potential and a mischievous edge that could have set it apart. Instead, it remains a show that is watchable, entertaining at times and full of personality, but that rarely reaches everything it promised.
Z Nation does not have the strength of Black Summer, not even close. But it is not a disposable series either. It is uneven, cheap-looking in many moments and too scattered, but it has something attractive: a mixture of B-movie spirit, zombie adventure, black humor and characters who gradually become good company. It is not a great series, but it is one you can watch with some affection, while constantly thinking that a much better version was hidden inside it.
Mini Review: Z Nation is a curious series. In theory, it belongs to the same universe as Black Summer, but that is hard to believe when you watch it. It does not have the same intensity, the same rawness or that feeling of desperate survival that made Black Summer feel almost like a physical experience. Here, everything is lighter, more B-movie, more mischievous, more uneven and much closer to pulp entertainment than to dry horror. The premise has a hook: in...